They put #%&#@ Valvoline Dino in my Buick Encore!

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Car has 97,000 miles, bought it at 50K. Have used MaxLife since day one even though it's no longer Dexos 1. Paid for Maxlife and they'll switch it out when I return in six days for some A/C work. Doubt if less than a week is going to cook my engine.

My question is, I've had great luck with MaxLife--my car is out of warranty. The place I go to advertises Valvoline dino changes for $15, Max costs an additional $10 (plus various shop, disposal fees, etc.) I've already paid for the MaxLife so that's what's going in next week, but my hunch is VWB is nowhere near tough enough for normal change intervals on a GM 1.4 turbo. If the car had turbo and direct injection (the more powerful Encore), I wouldn't even be running MaxLife red.

I doubt if any damage will be done by next week, but since I'm running the VWB, is there anybody out there running it in a tough environment, i.e. small displacement turbos, etc? I did occasionally run VWB in a Kia Rio with direct injection without incident but my hunch is that turbo is too much for the oil.

And yes, I realize that all modern oils, including VWB, have small bits of syn in them.
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
You'd be surprised.

If you don't race it - that oil will probably do a 3,000 mile OCI just fine


But my OCI@ 20% left is 6500 miles. A decent 3000 mile OCI is the reason I'm not freaking out and having them dump it tomorrow.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
What does the owner's manual say you can use?


Calls for Dexos. MaxLife met Dexos 1.1 but not 1.2. Assume that was because of the addition of direct injection along with turbo-- LSPI concerns. Don't think VWB ever met Dexos. Of course if it was a non turbo engine I probably would be running the cheapest dino I could-- think Dexos is designed for the toughest specs that GM has to meet.

The car is out of warranty or I'd be running Dexos 1.2.
 
Does the bottle say "not approvrd for turbocharged engines"?
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I did buy the car from a Ford dealer and it had Ford oil in it for the first change. Like Conoco-Phillips stuff-- plenty of syn in their cheapest stuff. If Firestone still had $20 Kendall oil changes, that would be my choice.
 
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Does the bottle say "not approvrd for turbocharged engines"?
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I got bulk, but trying to get a good look at their web site was hard. Seems they're pushing their new bottle design and I couldn't find a clear picture of the label. It did say to use what the manufacturer recommends, so that would even exclude red bottle MaxLife which I am comfortable with.

What I'm looking for is "I used VWB on a car with direct injection and a turbo, changed the oil every 8,000, and the engine lasted for 400,000 trouble free miles."
 
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Originally Posted By: Nick1994
You’ve been on this forum for 16 years and you’re really worried about this?


Not worried, cause it's coming out next week. Just curious. Is VWB some hidden gem of cheap toughness? Ten bucks saved three times a year could buy me a couple of steaks at Texas Roadhouse.
 
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Ford's ecoboost turbo di engines just use conventional oil, like VWB. This isn't going to hurt your engine. Sure I'd change it before 3,000 miles in this case.
Consider it an engine flush if changed very soon.
 
You'll be fine, the 5w-20 and 5w-30 VWB is a synthetic blend these days and meets the latest SN Plus rating for direct injection engines to prevent low speed pre-ignition. I'd run it no problem in my Eco-boost engines for 5k.
 
Originally Posted By: csandste
I've already paid for the MaxLife so that's what's going in next week, but my hunch is VWB is nowhere near tough enough for normal change intervals on a GM 1.4 turbo. If the car had turbo and direct injection (the more powerful Encore), I wouldn't even be running MaxLife red.


So your car is not DI, but just turbocharged?
 
Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
You'll be fine, the 5w-20 and 5w-30 VWB is a synthetic blend these days and meets the latest SN Plus rating for direct injection engines to prevent low speed pre-ignition. I'd run it no problem in my Eco-boost engines for 5k.


This. Check their website.
 
I am currently of the belief that short OCIs with an oil like VWB is better than an OLM mandated OCI with the right spec'd oil. Fresh oil, more often = less negative impact of the slurry you get in a DI turbo engine after too many miles.
 
Ford's EB engine specs are met/licensed by many dino oils; Valvoline, Mobil, QS, PZ and others.

I'd not sweat this one bit.
 
You doubt there will be damage by next week? Dude! There won't be damage until 3k miles! Stop being paranoid. Use it and get maxlife next time.
 
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